measure up

measure up idiom
  1. Be the equal of, as in Is he a good enough actor to measure up to the other members of the cast? [Early 1900s]
  2. Have the qualifications for, be of high enough quality for, as in His latest book hasn't measured up to the reviewers' expectations. [First half of 1900s]

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. Copyright © 2003, 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

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